reflections on life in and beyond the classroom

Thinking about summer

Meetings are over. The top of my desk is clear. I’ve turned in report cards and tucked away the Elmo and reshelved books and taken down bulletin boards.Summer begins tomorrow.Every year at this time, I start a list in my head- a summer list. My list isn’t just about reading and writing. It includes all sorts of summer hopes and goals.This summer I’ve got a long list:

Explore the new Kindergarten, First and Third grade Units of Study curriculums.

Find titles and add to our mentor text collection.

Attend the June Writing Institute.

Reacquaint myself with my kitchen and favorite cookbooks and recipes.

Run, swim laps, walk, bike, play tennis.

Write something- every day.

Spend time with family and friends.

Help Frances start planning for college.

Help Claire prepare for the A.C.T.

Find and read new titles for my Third and Fourth grade readers.

Develop and use my writer’s notebook.

Finish watching House of Cards through the current season. (I am on season 1).

Go to a movie in a theater.

Walk on the beach.

Garden.

Clear out my email.

Write a blog post about the amazing poetry our Third grade boys wrote this spring.